ISO New England CEO van Welie to Retire; COO Chadalavada Named Successor

ISO New England announced that President and CEO, Gordon van Welie will retire from the company effective January 1, 2026.

The ISO’s Board of Directors has selected Dr. Vamsi Chadalavada, currently serving as the ISO’s chief operating officer, as van Welie’s successor.

Gordon van Welie, joined ISO New England in 2000 and served as chief operating officer before being promoted to CEO in 2001. In his tenure, van Welie led strategic initiatives to keep grid system reliability intact and the wholesale electricity markets competitive during significant shifts in the region’s policies, generation sources, and technologies.

“The ISO has demonstrated great responsiveness, agility and an innovative spirit, proactively developing market designs and operational and transmission planning tools to manage the complexities and risks that lie ahead,” van Welie said. “This is particularly evident in the past few years with the new RESTand PEAT tools, the Day-Ahead Ancillary Services Market, and our industry-leading Longer-Term Transmission Planningfor regional projects.”

“The board oversees a robust management succession plan, and we are very fortunate to have someone with Vamsi’s leadership, experience, and qualifications ready to take on the role,” said Cheryl LaFleur, chair of the ISO New England Board of Directors. “His appointment demonstrates our strong confidence in his ability to lead the organization through the grid transition ahead.”